Plzeň must repair the Wilson Bridge three years after its complete reconstruction

photo: plzen.eu

Plzeň - Plzeň must repair the 104-year-old stone Wilson Bridge in the city center three years after its complete reconstruction. The reason is the displaced cobblestones due to extreme traffic load. This is mainly caused by trolleybuses, which brake before the traffic lights on this technical monument. The construction company and the city do not yet know how to resolve the issue. They will try various repair techniques and assess which one will be the best, said Deputy Mayor Pavel Šindelář (ODS) to ČTK. The work will begin in mid-August.

"Trolleybuses, when braking, push the filling of the cobbles apart, causing them to move away from each other, and thus it starts to ripple. Now we are looking for ways to stabilize the substrate and the cobbles so that they do not move, at least for some time," said the deputy. According to him, it is clear that in three or four years, the bridge will need to be repaved again. Or traffic needs to be diverted, which is not currently possible in Plzeň.

The city examined whether the construction, with a five-year warranty, was exactly according to the project, and it has been confirmed that it is. "Of course, if the designers were to come up with the absolutely best solution, they would suggest asphalt, but that is not acceptable to the heritage conservationists. The project is also fine," Šindelář said.

The repair will be carried out in August, but it will not affect the entire bridge. "It will only involve strips where various techniques will be tested," said the deputy. It should be clear by spring what form of repair will be the best. For next year, funds must be found and a repair planned in the millions of crowns so that it does not complicate traffic.

About half a year after the general renovation costing 52 million crowns, completed after ten months in June 2014, compressed tracks appeared on the road that continued to grow in both directions. The bridge will be closed to cars from August 14 until the end of the month, except for public transport vehicles.

The bridge connects Anglické and Denisovo embankments of the Radbuza River. Three years ago, it was newly paved with original cobbles, the road was narrowed by one lane, and the granite sidewalks were widened. The toll houses and replicas of the original lighting were restored. The bridge was opened on September 28, 1913. At that time, tracks for the future tram line were laid there, which the city removed during the road repair in 1934.